Republics of Omerica

Omerican republics Republiques oméricaines (French)
File:Omerica location map.svg
Category	Federated state
Location	Omerica
Created	1 July 1894 (1 July 1894)
Number	25 (as of 1 January 1995)
Populations	293,088 (New Guernsey) – 7,461,993 (Mespalia)
Areas	204 km² (Romainbourg) – 16,044 km² (New West Flanders)

Omerica is a federation of twenty-five republics. As the descendants of formerly sovereign states, the republics retain a degree of sovereignty and self-government and maintain administrative independence from the Union government, including independent executives, legislatures and judiciaries.

Under the Basic Laws, certain policy areas, such as foreign affairs and defence, are the exclusive prerogative of the Federal Diet, while others fall under shared authority; the republics retain all other powers not assigned to the Union or expressly denied to them by the federal constitution. Republics therefore have taxation power and responsibility over healthcare, social welfare, law enforcement, public education, job training and promotion of the arts and sciences.

Republics form the basis for apportioning the House of Representatives and their legislatures designate the members of the House of Plenipotentiaries. Additionally, in areas under the republics’ legislative authority, republics have the power to enter into compacts among each other and, subject to parliamentary approval, treaties with foreign states.

History

File:Original Omerican republics.svg

A map of the seventeen original republics at the time of Federation. New Flanders initially refused to ratify the Instrument of Government and was therefore not part of the United Republics at its establishment.

Constitution

All republics are constitutionally required to have a democratic and republican system of government, but otherwise, the republics remain free to organise their individual constitutions as they see fit. All republics are governed by a parliamentary system similar to the federal government, though there is wide variation in its implementation from republic to republic.

Each republic has a unicameral legislature of 21 to 111 members, variously referred to as a Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council or Common Council. Legislatures serve three- or four-year terms (depending on the republic) and are generally elected by single transferable vote, with universal suffrage for all Omerican citizens over the age of eighteen guaranteed by the federal constitution.

List

Republic	Gallic name	Code	Capital	Population	Area (km²)	Density	GDPpc (NSD)	Official language(s)
Alleos	Tessèlle	AL	Volubourg	2,100,213	11,741	179	41,202	Gallic
Altomare	Haut-Mer	HM	Romainbourg	3,110,907	3,051	1,020	47,653	Gallic
Braganza	Bragance	BR	Sassari	1,767,270	3,852	459	42,408	Gallic
Bridgecastle	Pontchâteau	PC	Saint-Jean	1,476,180	7,258	203	50,251	Gallic
Charlescourt	Charlescourt	CH	—	5,610,545	558	10,055	47,893	Gallic
Coleraine	Coleraine	CR	Derry	2,665,499	8,010	333	42,938	Anglian
East Calaverde	Calaverde-Orientale	CE	Saint-Christophe	6,311,646	8,382	753	46,575	Gallic
Emerald Isles	Îles Émeraude	EM	Wharfland Ferry	1,824,352	6,224	293	44,341	Anglian
Free State	État libre	FS	Nassau	6,463,963	6,958	929	43,555	Anglian
Great Arden	Grande Ardenne	GA	Templemore	2,310,855	7,447	310	46,910	Anglian
Heathmoor	Bruyèrelande	HE	Strongford	1,368,355	8,210	167	40,927	Anglian
Marche Rouge	Marche Rouge	MR	Châlons	308,643	1,695	182	44,679	Gallic
Mespalia	Mespalia	MS	Christiana	7,461,993	1,310	5,696	53,416	Anglian
New Guernsey	Nouveau-Guernesey	NG	Castlerock	293,088	682	430	62,294	Anglian
New Vaucluse	Nouveau-Vaucluse	NV	Bayonnette	710,622	5,768	123	43,606	Gallic
North Provence	Provence-Septentrionale	PN	Carthagène	1,229,654	9,395	131	40,911	Gallic
Port-des-Saints	Port-des-Saints	PS	—	1,909,375	820	2,329	60,658	Anglian
Romainbourg	Romainbourg	RG	—	3,191,185	204	15,643	63,451	Gallic
Seafoam Islands	Îles Écume	SE	Saint Anne	1,256,475	1,477	851	50,994	Anglian
Silverforce	Silverforce	SL	Stockbridge	2,231,881	12,725	175	45,835	Anglian
South Provence	Provence-Méridionale	PM	Syracuse	1,646,248	9,408	175	38,979	Gallic
Strathavon	Val-d’Avon	SA	Falconhurst	4,170,152	8,547	488	43,839	Anglian
Terreneuf	Terreneuf	TN	Épiteaux	480,228	1,806	266	38,049	Gallic
West Calaverde	Calaverde-Occidentale	WC	Westhaven	4,742,764	16,044	296	43,699	Anglian
Westavon	Avon-Occidental	WA	Brétolles	3,577,573	8,157	439	45,453	Anglian, Gallic
Omerica	Omerique	OR	Port-des-Saints	xx,xxx,xxx	149,729	xxx	xx,xxx	Anglian, Gallic

Admission of new republics

Main article: Enlargement of Omerica

With the exception of New Flanders’s accession, all new republics admitted since Federation have been formed by secession from other existing republics. Despite discussions of giving Strathavon and Westavon half votes on constitutional referendums and in the House of Plenipotentiaries to discourage wanton secession, the latter was ultimately admitted with full voting rights, establishing that all new republics enter the federation on equal standing with existing members.

Several new republics have been proposed, mostly secessionist movements within existing republics. The admission of new republics requires a referendum among the affected population, though they are only constitutionally mandated when “major changes” would be made to existing republic boundaries. The splitting of a republic requires a simple majority on both sides of the new border, while the merger of multiple republics requires a majority in each republic to be merged. In contrast, the accession of a republic from outside the United Republics or of a federal territory within the United Republics only requires a simple majority to pass.